We’re talking about Curiosity, the Mars exploration rover. It’s due to reach the Red Planet just after 12 a.m. Aug. 6.

For now, it’s creating some pre-landing buzz in a slick NASA YouTube video that describes what a feat it will be to land on the Martian surface. More than 500,000 people have watched “Seven Minutes of Terror” so far.

Curiosity will be the largest thing NASA’s ever landed on Mars. At about 1 ton, it dwarfs Opportunity (384 pounds) and Sojourner (25 pounds).

Its capsule has been traveling 154 million miles and will have to slow down from 13,000 mph when it enters the atmosphere. At seven miles up, its parachute will open. A mile up, the parachute will separate and thrusters will slow the vehicle down further. Just before it lands at the Gale crater, cables will lower Curiosity to the ground.

Curiosity carries scientific equipment to sample rock and help scientists study how the planet has changed, whether it has held water and whether it could have supported life.